Misfit iPhone in legal spat

Paul Nesbitt

A US TV commercial in which the iPhone is relegated to a shuffling failure has so enraged Apple's US network partner, AT&T, that the company is suing to stop it being shown.

The commercial, run by rival network Verizon (which also made this rather entertaining testosterone-fuelled ad) is a parody of a scene from the well-loved US Christmas TV animation show, starring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The scene features the Island of Misfit Toys, where flawed toys are banished because Santa Claus can't offload them to children at Christmas. So imagine the impact when an iPhone shuffles dejectedly onto the Island.

'Hey, check out the new guy,' exclaims a lurid pink elephant. 'What are you doing here? You can download apps and browse the web.'

'Yep people love you,' adds a flawed doll.

The iPhone stops in its tracks before a map of AT&T's 3G coverage in the US pops up above it like a thought bubble.

'Oh!,' exclaim the assembled toys, as the map wilts Dali-style and the alleged inadequacy of AT&T's coverage becomes apparent.

'You'll fit right in here,' notes another toy.

The ad then goes on to claim that Verizon has five times more 3G coverage than AT&T.

Not surprising, then, that AT&T has its briefs petitioning a Federal court in Atlanta.